Books by Dale Harris

Books by Dale Harris
A Feast of Epiphanies

Though I Walk, A Novel

Daytime Moons and Other Celestial Anomalies, a book of poems

Second Wind

Second Wind
An album of songs both old and new. Recorded in 2021, a year of major transition for me, these songs explore the many vicissitudes of the spiritual life,. It's about the mountaintop moments and the Holy Saturday sunrises, the doors He opens that no one can close, and those doors He's closed that will never open again. You can click the image above to give it a listen.

The Song Became a Child

The Song Became a Child
A collection of Christmas songs I wrote and recorded during the early days of the pandemic lockdown in the spring of 2020. Click the image to listen.

There's a Trick of the Light I'm Learning to Do

There's a Trick of the Light I'm Learning to Do
This is a collection of songs I wrote and recorded in January - March, 2020 while on sabbatical from ministry. They each deal with a different aspect or expression of the Gospel. Click on the image above to listen.

Three Hands Clapping

Three Hands Clapping
This is my latest recording project (released May 27, 2019). It is a double album of 22 songs, which very roughly track the story of my life... a sort of musical autobiography, so to speak. Click the album image to listen.

Ghost Notes

Ghost Notes
A collections of original songs I wrote in 2015, and recorded with the FreeWay Musical Collective. Click the album image to listen.

inversions

inversions
Recorded in 2014, these songs are sort of a chronicle of my journey through a pastoral burn-out last winter. They deal with themes of mental-health, spiritual burn-out and depression, but also with the inexorable presence of God in the midst of darkness. Click the album art to download.

soundings

soundings
click image to download
"soundings" is a collection of songs I recorded in September/October of 2013. Dealing with themes of hope, ache, trust and spiritual loss, the songs on this album express various facets of my journey with God.

bridges

bridges
Click to download.
"Bridges" is a collection of original songs I wrote in the summer of 2011, during a soul-searching trip I took out to Alberta; a sort of long twilight in the dark night of the soul. I share it here in hopes these musical reflections on my own spiritual journey might be an encouragement to others: the sun does rise, blood-red but beautiful.

echoes

echoes
Prayers, poems and songs (2005-2009). Click to download
"echoes" is a collection of songs I wrote during my time studying at Briercrest Seminary (2004-2009). It's called "echoes" partly because these songs are "echoes" of times spent with God from my songwriting past, but also because there are musical "echoes" of hymns, songs or poems sprinkled throughout the album. Listen closely and you'll hear them.

Accidentals

Accidentals
This collection of mostly blues/rock/folk inspired songs was recorded in the spring and summer of 2015. I call it "accidentals" because all of the songs on this project were tunes I have had kicking around in my notebooks for many years but had never found a "home" for on previous albums. You can click the image to download the whole album.

In a Little While, a devotional thought


In John's account of the Last Supper, Jesus has an extended discussion with his disciples about his coming Passion and what it will mean for them. Towards the end of this discourse, in 16:16, he makes this enigmatic statement: “In a little while you’ll see me no longer," he tells them, "and then again in a little while you will see me.” He’s talking, as far as I can tell, about his coming death and resurrection (i.e.: you won’t see me in a little while, because I’ll have died; but then you will see me in a little while, because 3 days later I’ll rise again).

What stands out to me, though, is how this “little while” becomes a running theme in the dialogue. The disciples say: what’s this ‘little while’ he’s talking about? And he mentions it again in verse 19, and then says: “Truly, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (v.20).

The implication, of course, is that this turning of grief to joy will happen “in a little while.”

It got me thinking that there is sort of a “cruciform patience” required of all serious followers of Jesus. For Jesus, what made the agony of the cross endurable was the conviction that “in a little while” this agony would be transformed into joy inexpressible; and he seems to want that same conviction to sustain his followers as they go through their own cruciform (that is, cross-shaped) agonies.

The challenge, of course, is that even “a little while” seems an eternity when we’re in pain, grief, torment or anticipation. Sometimes “a little while more” still seems a long way off. But this brings us, actually, to the truest, most authentically Christian response to suffering in the world. When confronted with the hurt of this world, the Christian does not ask, with the philosopher, “Why does God ... ?” And he does not ask, with the cynic, “How could God ... ?” Rather the Christian asks with Psalmist, “How long, O Lord, How long?” And the answer God gives us in Christ is not easy, but it’s true: “Just a little while more. Hold on.”

 

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